A few weeks ago I drove up the mountains to pick up my oldest daughter from 6th grade camp. The highway began to bend and wind into the woods. The sight of the forest took my breath away. I was stunned by the devastation and destruction left by the forest fires in that area. A grove of trees that just a year ago boasted a vibrant, red-green-gold [...] Keep Reading
politics
The Hard Work of Building Bridges
The original version of this essay was published on May 16, 2016 in Self Talk the Gospel. I’m fascinated by bridges. I live in California so you can imagine the first bridge that comes to mind is the Golden Gate Bridge. Regal. Majestic. Glorious. Poppy red-by-day and glowing-with-lights by night. Iconic to the San Francisco skyline. The [...] Keep Reading
Soup’s on: Italian sausage & kale soup
This time of year - when colds are plentiful and the air has that memorable chill - all I'm thinking about is SOUP! After perusing many Italian sausage soup recipes, I decided to create my own healthy variety and it was a big hit with my family. The great thing about this recipe is it uses kale, which you can find fresh at the local farmer's [...] Keep Reading
The Ministry of Presence
Last night I woke to the sound of my 5-year-old whimpering in the next room. I ran in to check on her. “Mama, mama, I had the baddest dream,” came her trembling voice. I climbed into the top bunk bed next to her and laid down. “Mama’s here,” I assured her. She put her little hand in mine. Immediately, I felt her body relax. She drifted back to [...] Keep Reading
